3D printing price: How do you calculate the cost of a 3D print?

3D printing is becoming increasingly popular, and precisely for this reason, it could be the subject of a simple question: How much does this kind of service cost?
Let us now try to go into detail to understand how much you could spend when you want to take advantage of this opportunity and what elements deserve to be considered when you decide to take advantage of this particular proposal.

3D printing and the elements that affect the cost

Why is it impossible to give a clear-cut answer regarding 3D printing besides making an immediate online quote?

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Get an instant quote for individuals by clicking here – Get an instant quote for companies by clicking here.

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This is for a simple reason: various factors weigh heavily on the final price proposed by the different companies. Therefore, it is essential to know that each company to which one turns might evaluate the various vital elements of the above differently.
We are not referring to the classic service, which is characterised by a standard cost that undergoes minimal variations in the final price, for example, according to the medium on which it is printed.
In this case, many elements must be evaluated, each of which can increase or reduce the cost.
Therefore, it is crucial to evaluate the possibility of requesting estimates. This type of service, like that of Farma 3D, allows one to know what costs affect the final price and how they vary, thus guaranteeing a detailed general overview.

The material factor

When it comes to 3D printing and the elements that directly affect the various costs that must be borne, it is essential to evaluate the first criterion that gives you a clear idea of which costs are likely to increase the price of the print itself.
In this case, the type of material that must be used to create a particular object in the required environment must be considered.
For example, simple plastic, i.e. the filaments of this material that will be subjected to the entire 3D printing process, might cost less when compared to those of other materials that offer the security of coming into possession of a final product whose strength and longevity tend to be considerably higher.
Each material used has specific characteristics ideally suited to the object to be produced, so it is essential to consider the tool as a whole.
It is also essential to know that each type of filament used for 3D printing has a precise cost. Companies will try to profit from that processing by recovering the price of the material itself unless the customer supplies it.

The type of work that needs to be done

The second criterion determining the cost of 3D printing is the type of work needed, in this case, the file sent.
Companies that offer 3D printing services, such as FAMA 3D, require the customer to send the file containing the object to be realised with the printing process. If this is complex, the work to be carried out requires more incredible accuracy.
To give an example, if a particular bottle is to be printed, this could cost relatively less when compared to the cost that would be involved in the production of a fundamental part of another product, for example, an industrial machine that requires a particular knob or valve to be able to be exploited in the best possible way.
Therefore, in this circumstance, it is essential to know that depending on the project that one sends to the company responsible for the 3D printing work and the complexity of the work that needs to be done, the final price that can be proposed can be increased or maintained at slightly low levels.

3D printing and processing times

Still, on the processing front, it is necessary to know that 3D printing is a process that is generally not carried out in a single day, mainly when the object to be made is composed of different materials. Think of when a 3D prototype has to be made, for example.
In this circumstance, it is essential to know that each part of the object is made separately, and the printer has to be cleaned of the various residues of the material used to make each part of the object.
For example, a tool with more than two materials may need to be processed over several days, so knowing that each day’s work will cost money is essential.
Moreover, even the duration of a single work session entails a price that the customer must necessarily know precisely so that the final price does not leave customers disappointed.
Depending on the amount of time invested in realising the object daily, a cost that must be added to those described above will be generated. This determines the final price to be borne by the customer, another crucial aspect that should be evaluated during the analysis phase.
In this case, it is also essential to know that requesting a quotation, for example, from Farma 3D, also makes it possible to understand the various timeframes for creating that particular object and, thus, the relative cost that must be borne to exploit it.
These small details are of great importance and deserve to be known.

The workforce of the company offering the printing service

These costs must always be added to the labour service, which, of course, must also be borne since 3D printing is carried out not only by the appropriate machines, i.e., the printers but also by a team of professionals who must carry out a series of appropriate checks so that the particular object can meet all the different requirements expressed by the customer.
In this circumstance, it is therefore vital to know that each company, as can easily be guessed, will decide to create a price list that distinguishes the workforce. Of course, it is also essential to consider how this price is apportioned to the days of work being carried out.
The planning of the print, the control of materials, any corrections during the realisation phase, and all other similar procedures assume great importance in the realisation phase of that particular object. They ensure that it is entirely free of any potential defect and can fully reflect the design sent in.
Therefore, labour costs are vital and must always be considered when commissioning a company specialising in 3D printing.

Retouching, an important aspect

Remaining on the subject of the intervention of the people in charge of offering the 3D printing service, it should be pointed out that the activation of the printer and the possible checks that must characterise each phase of the object’s realisation are not the only interventions that the team specialised in this service puts into practice.
At the end of each printing phase, the object is subjected to a careful revision with a precise purpose: to remove any possible imprecision that could distinguish that particular object. Thus, the final product is prevented from being unsatisfactory and failing to respond clearly and precisely to all customer requirements.
At the end of the production phase of a part of the object, checks are carried out to file, remove or reshape that part made with the printer precisely to ensure that the article in question can be satisfactory and meet customer requirements.
Only in this way can an object made with this tool be prevented from being characterised by potential defects that could disappoint the customer’s expectations and prevent them from taking advantage of that commissioned product.
Even in this case, the processing phase following printing requires the utmost care and attention to detail to prevent the customer from complaining.
Given the importance of this additional processing, which precisely removes every single inaccuracy, this is marked by a specific cost added to the final price.

The number of printed objects

Another critical aspect that distinguishes the final cost of the printing service is the quantity of objects to be produced.
In this case, it is essential to know that a 3D printer, when operated, produces a specific cost that will, of course, vary depending on the rate set by the company to which one turns.
Many companies, however, offer a service characterised by a series discount, i.e. when several prints of the same object are requested, allowing the customer to obtain significant financial savings on each piece produced if the requested quantities reach a certain amount.
For example, a quantity of one hundred products could be subject to a twenty per cent discount on the unit price of each item produced, so evaluating even a multiple print allows you to obtain an excellent economic saving, especially if these particular items are to be the same.
Therefore, when requesting quotations, it is essential to consider what discounts may affect the final price. Thus, seeking a cost reduction will make customers more inclined to use multiple printing.

The type of customer requesting the service

Lastly, another aspect that could affect the final cost of the 3D printing service is the type of customer who decides to use it.
Many companies specialising in 3D printing propose tariffs that are different from each other and that are characterised by being dedicated both to individual customers, whether professionals in a given sector or people who need an object for personal purposes and to companies to which a different tariff could be proposed for the production of a given item.
This particular detail also needs to be known when deciding to rely on a 3D printing service, as the intended use of a given product has an essential impact on the price that might be proposed by the company you decide to rely on.
Once again, Farma 3D meets the customers’ different requirements. It offers two systems for requesting quotations, one dedicated to corporate customers and the other to customers who do not fall into this category or the business category but who require an object that must be produced with great care and must possess specific characteristics so that it can be used in a particular context.

But how much does a 3D print cost

Having analysed all these aspects, one question might still be on one’s mind: How much does a 3D printing service cost?
Well, in most cases, simple objects can cost from a few euros up to thousands of euros, depending precisely on their complexity and on the technical characteristics expressed during the product’s design phase.
All this depends on the factors examined earlier, which combine to form the final price of the object that one intends to have made by the company to which one requests the service mentioned above.
Therefore, turning to a company that allows you to request detailed estimates is very important. This enables you to avoid doubts that could have severe repercussions and, therefore, leave a person with a feeling of lack of conviction.
By taking advantage of Farma 3D’s quotation service, you can send the file of the object to be made and a series of essential details that allow the company to have a complete general overview of the work to be carried out.
Thanks to all this information, it will be possible to receive a complete and detailed estimate immediately with all the costs per criterion and the final costs to be incurred.

Thanks to this company, therefore, it will be possible to remove any doubts that one may have about 3D printing and its cost, obtaining instead a general and complete overview that will certainly guarantee a satisfactory final result, with workmanship that will reflect in every part of the project that is to be realised.

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